Add the oil and with the tines of a fork, mash the hreb rub togeher to make a thick paste like texture.
2 tbsp olive oil
Rub the Turkey
Rub the herb mix inside the cavity of the bird, until the skin and over the entirety of the turkey.
Add the pats of butter under the skin, a few pieces on each the left and right breast.
4 tbsp butter
Place the turkey in a large aluminum pan and cut a few holes in the bottom of the pan.
Smoke the turkey
Add the cut lemon, onion, and hed of garlic to the cavity of the bird.
1 onion, 1 lemon, 1 head of garlic
Tie the legs securely together over the cavity with butchers twine.
Prep your smoker for an even heat of 225 degrees F.
Add a pan with water to the smoker to create humidity.
Place the turkey in the aluminum tray on the smoker and close the lid.
Allow the bird to smoke until it reaches 170F interal in the thighs and 165 in the breast with a digital meat thermometer, rotating the pan once halfway through cooktime 180 degrees.
Rest and Serve
Carefully remove the turkey from the smoker by sliding a heavy duty half sheet under the aluminum tray and lifting with pot holders or heat resitant gloves.
Add a couple pats of butter to the top of the bird and tent with foil.
4 tbsp butter
Rest for 20 minutes.
Carve the turkey and serve.
Notes
For a 15 lb turkey, with the smoker set to 225, the bird took 6 hours to cook completely. If the breast has finished cooking but the legs still need time, add a few tablespoons of butter over the breast and tent with foil while the legs continue to smoke. Alternatively, you could remove the entire bird from the smoker, let it rest and then slice the legs off, wrap them in foil and return them to the smoker to cook them to 170F. This helps make them tender and doesn't overcook the rest of the turkey. We recommend apple, maple, and pecan wood chunks, pellets, or chips when smoking this turkey.